Cigarette pack warnings could change amid study findings

The warnings on cigarette packets could be shaken up amid results from a new Australian study about smokers.

A new survey by Cancer Council Victoria shows smokes remain blisfully unaware of the numerous health risks associated with the habit.

The data points to a lack of awareness of 23 cigarette-related health conditions.

The current warnings on cigarette packets in Australia have been in place since 2012. Picture: AAP (AAP)

Lead researcher Melanie Wakefield said the Cancer Council was especially shocked to discover that at least half of smokers did not know about the causal links of cigarettes with 13 health conditions, ranging from various cancers to infertility in women, erectile dysfunction, blindness, diabetes, ectopic pregnancy and rheumatoid arthritis.

"Tobacco use damages nearly every organ of the body but as this study shows, many Australian smokers are not aware of the wide range of serious health problems they could face if they continue to smoke," Prof Wakefield said.

She said gory cigarette packaging and graphic TV advertising had made eight in 10 smokers aware of lung and throat cancers, emphysema and heart disease.

The warnings could be changed amid results from a new study on smokers. Picture: AAP (AAP)

But the lack of knowledge of other health dangers meant warnings needed to be updated, she said.